HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
e Mystery Of e CSS Float Property
Louis Lazaris
Years ago, when developers first started to make the transition to HTML
layouts without tables, one CSS property that suddenly took on a very
important role was the
float
property. The reason that the
float
property became so common was that, by default, block-level elements will
not line up beside one another in a column-based format. Since columns are
necessary in virtually every CSS layout, this property started to get used —
and even overused — prolifically.
The CSS
float
property allows a developer to incorporate table-like
columns in an HTML layout without the use of tables. If it were not for the
CSS
float
property, CSS layouts would not be possible except using
absolute and relative positioning — which would be messy and would make
the layout unmaintainable.
In this chapter, we'll discuss exactly what the
float
property is and how it
a
"
ects elements in particular contexts. We'll also take a look at some of the
di
"
erences that can occur in connection with this property in the most
commonly-used browsers. Finally, we'll showcase a few practical uses for
the CSS
float
property. This should provide a well-rounded and thorough
discussion of this property and its impact on CSS development.
